Case Study Framework

Student:
Teacher:

A
Lindsay Sherwin

Observation

Dates:

Interpretation

Hypothesis

Curricular Decision/
Strategy

1. During Daily
Five A said My
writing is not cute,
I do not want to
write today.

Perhaps A is
uncomfortable with
writing for 20
minutes because her
writing skills are not
at grade level.

If A receives more
one on one time
with writing then A
will be more
comfortable in her
writing skill which
will motivate her to
write more during
Daily Five.

I worked with A on
her writing that day.
We focused more on
brainstorming as
opposed to writing a
paragraph. We
created a
brainstorming map of
her favorite foods.

2. A was reading
a book at a level
1.5 to me during
reading group.
She skipped over
words and did not
go back and
correct herself.

Perhaps A was not

interested in the
topic of the book and
therefore did not
have the interest in
her accuracy in
reading.

If A is allowed to
pick a book that
appeals to her,
rather than a book
about predators and
prey, then she will
be more invested in
reading the words
accurately.

A was able to pick

her own reading book
the next day. She
picked a short fable
at the same reading
level. We usually
read the book a few
times and focus on
accuracy. A wanted to
read the book many
more times.

Fall 2014
Reflection/
Result
A was able to get
her thoughts on
paper. If A continues
to build her
brainstorming then
she will be able to
write a few
paragraphs. It
worked well, she was
not able to write the
expected paragraphs
but she was able to
activate her writing in
a less stressful way.
Allowing A to pick a
book that appealed
to her interests which
prompted her to
reread with accuracy
when she skipped or
misread books.

3. A was copying
words during a
Social Studies
lesson Smart
Board onto her
region project
incorrectly.
4. During a
science
experiment A did
not participate in
the group work to
complete the
experiment.

Perhaps A was not

able to see the
Smart Board from
where she was
sitting and therefore
could not copy the
words accurately.

If A is allowed to
copy the words from
a sheet of paper on
her desk, she will be
able to rewrite the
words with accuracy.

I wrote the word from

the Smart Board (city,
state, country, and
continent) on a sheet
of paper for A to copy
to her project.

Perhaps A is not
comfortable
participating with her
group because she
does not understand
the content.

I A is able to
understand the
content, she will be
able to better
participate with her
group.

I provided scaffolding
to A during the
experiment so she
was able to fully
participate. A needs
assistance to
complete her
experiments
according to the
method.

5. During Daily
Five the prompt
was write
something you
are good at in
school. A said
that she had
nothing to write
about because
she was not good
at anything in
school.

A lacks confidence in
her school work. She
is below grade level
on every subject
while her classmates
are mostly at grade
level.

If A finds a strength
in her schooling her
confidence will
increase and she
will be more
motivated to do well
in all subjects.

That day A scored the

highest grade that
she has gotten thus
far on a math
assignment. We
praised A and her
accomplishment. She
was very proud of her
work and told all her
resource teachers.

A was still unable to

copy the words
correctly. Perhaps
the words do not
hold meaning to her
and she was
uninterested in the
project.
Providing support for
A increased her
confidence and she
was able to
participate in the
group work at hand.
She was able to
complete the
experiment. In the
future, I would
provide more
modeling before
starting the
experiment.
Praising small
accomplishments for
A really helped
improve her
confidence. This was
a turning point for A,
she starting applying
herself in all subjects
and was always
excited to see her
grades.

6. A sat at her
desk and did not
participate in
math workshop.
Students were
asked to
complete a page
from their journal
during
independent work
time. I asked her
why and she
replied, she did
not know what to
do.
7. During a class
discussion on
how to make a
shadow, every
student had input
other than A.

A did not understand

the content on the
journal page and did
not want to ask the
teacher for help
because it was
supposed to be a
review page.

If A is able to ask for

help when needed
and directions are
explicitly explained,
then A will be able to
successfully
accomplish her task.

Before allowing
students to complete
their math journal for
the day, the first
problem should be
modeled. I modeled
the problem for the
entire group so A
would not feel singled
out.

After explicitly
showing how to do
the first problem, A
was able to
successfully
complete the rest of
the worksheet on her
own. Only one
question was
incorrect. In the
future, I will explicitly
explain how to
complete every
problem.

Perhaps A is not
comfortable
speaking with the
class yet. She has a
limited vocabulary,
especially a content
vocabulary. She is
an English Language
Learner.
Perhaps there is little
support from her
home because of the
English barrier. A
said she is not
allowed to speak
English at home
because her mother
does not understand
it and her father
speaks limited

I used the think pair

share strategy rather
than a grand
conversation. This
allowed A to think for
a minute then turn
and talk to her
partner before
speaking aloud to the
rest of the class.
I decided to write out
the directions in
terms that A can
easily understand. I
suggested A take
home an English to
Arabic dictionary to
bridge the language
gap.

A participated in the
discussion after we
used think pair
share. A was able to
discuss her response
with a classmate to
clear any
misconceptions or
knowledge gaps.

8. During reading
group, A did not
complete her
homework. She
said, I did not
understand what
you wrote and my
brother is in Iraq
so he could not

If A is able to have
the time to think
aloud with another
student then she will
be able to
participate in
discussion because
then she will know
her ideas make
sense.
If A has more
support with English
at home or an
Arabic translation
she will be able to
complete her
homework and get
family assistance.

A is still unable to
speak English at
home, which is
common to preserve
her culture. A does
not receive English
support from family
members other than
her brothers and
sisters who were out
of the country at the

read it.

English.

time A needed
assistance.

9. I read the math

unit test to A to
make sure she
understood the
directions and
she scored very
high

A struggles with
comprehension and I
thought perhaps
reading the test to A
will ensure she
knows what is asked
of her.

If A is not able to
comprehend the test
she will not be able
to complete the test
successfully.

I read the test to A in

order to make sure
she knew the
directions. Math is A's
strongest subject but
she is not strong with
her comprehension
skills.

10. A passed level

1.8 in her reading
group! She was
tested in a DRA.
She was very
excited and
smiling.

A created her goal of

being at a level 2 in
reading by January.
She is well on her
way.

If A has ownership
of her learning then
she will be able to
be more successful
in her goals.

A created her own

reading goal and she
is working hard to
achieve it. After
passing the level, A
was taken to the
principal and praised
by all her resource
teachers. A was very
proud of herself.

I read the test to A

but did not provide
any additional
assistance. She was
able to complete the
test fairly quickly and
got an A on her test.
Every day since the
test she asks if she
can take it home yet
to show her mother.
She is very proud. In
the future, I will read
every test to A until
her comprehension
skills improve.
I think A was really
dedicated to
improving her
reading because she
was able to create
her own very
achievable goal. She
was very proud of
herself.

Lindsay Sherwin
Pre-Student Teaching
Fall 2014
11/22/14
Case Study
Student A
A is an eight year old third grade student at Becker Elementary school in Dearborn Michigan. Becker is a school that is classified as Beating
the Odds. A fits into the category of beating the odds. She has overcome many obstacles to get to the point academically that she is currently at. A is
the youngest sibling of four. She has one older sister and two older brothers. Her father works in a gas station store near where they live while her
mother stays home. A does not have the most stable home life. All of A's extended family lives in Iraq and her parents frequently go visit them. A is
left in the care of her oldest brother, who is 20. At home, no English is spoken. This is a common characteristic for many who wish to preserve their
culture. A said that the reason behind them not speaking any English at home is due to the fact that her father does not speak English well and her
mother speaks no English at all. Her older siblings are the only family members that provide help with homework. A big change coming to A's life is
that her oldest brother, who lives with A, is going to Iraq to get married. Her parents and oldest brother are going for the wedding. The wife will be
coming to America and will be living in the same house as the rest of the family. The house, from A's description, is very small. She shares a room
with her sister.
A has many strengths but she also has many needs in order for her to be successful in third grade. Throughout her school career, A has been
below grade level and therefore is meeting every day with her resource teachers in the building. The team that is working with A is very optimistic at
this point to get her to grade level. Upon entering third grade, A really struggled with all the curriculum. She was below grade level at every subject
and was having trouble even doing two digit addition. A attended summer school the summer before this year and really did not make much progress.
Her biggest need is to improve her reading and language arts. As n English Language Learner, A has a difficult time following even simple directions.
She has all of her exams read to her which seems to be helping. In the beginning of the school year, A had little motivation and appeared to be
disengaged throughout the school year.
At an intervention meeting that I attended with the cooperating teacher and all the resource teachers, we made goals for A's learning for the
year. Her main goal was to improve in language arts which they believed would help to improve all her other scores as well. In reading, she was
really struggling with comprehension. After reading a book, A's teachers would ask questions or ask what happened and A could not come up with a
logical or well rounded response. She was fixated on the words but not on the meaning behind the words.
A has strengths in math. As a class, we have been working on simple mental math and A has been able to keep on track with her classmates.
Her biggest strength is decoding when she reads. When she comes across a word that she does not know, which happens often because she has a
limited vocabulary, she will break down the word and is able to pronounce it. Her strategy of choice is chunking the word and then blending the
sounds together. In the beginning of the year, A was unconcerned about reading with accuracy. When she skipped words or misread, she wold
continue reading. Her Daily Five goal was accuracy. With this goal, A was forced to read with more accuracy which has carried over into her new
goals. She has great decoding skills and now she is working towards improving her comprehension skills.
My concern for A is that she continues with her learning goals. I feel like since I have been at Becker, she has made leaps and bounds with her
learning. In the beginning of the year, A was appeared to be disengaged in her learning. I feel like she is an entirely new student. I think this is due to
the amount of one on one attention she gets every day. The cooperating teacher and I meet with A every day as well as two different resource teachers
and a literacy coach. My biggest concern is regarding her slipping into her old patterns because she has made tremendous progress this year and it is
not even half way through. She came into the class barely reading at a first grade level and is now reading at nearly a second grade level. With little

English support from home, this is great progress. A second concern is that without support from home, A will have difficult time understanding her
homework. A still has some trouble following written instruction so we always make sure to explicitly explain all direction and have her reword her
responsibilities.
I have used many different strategies when working with A. She responds best to one on one attention. She is able to freely ask questions and
clear up any misconceptions. Through meeting with her everyday during Daily Five, A is able to work on her comprehension skills. I like to ask A
verbally what happened in the story we read because that allows her to be able to explain the summary without having writing being a challenge for
her. The biggest curricular decision with A was to have her create her own goal. In the chart, one observation was the day she passed level 18 in
reading. The outcome of this was that we visited every resource teacher and even the principal in order to celebrate her victory. It was clear to
everyone that A told, that she was very proud of herself. Her self created goal was to become a level 20 reader by January. With the progress A is
making, she will be able to attain that goal. I think making a goal for every subject would really help A succeed. She is taking ownership of her
learning. With her goal, A will get a self selected prize when she achieves it. After A making her goal, she is becoming more and more engaged.
A second strategy that I have used is to provide A with manipulatives. A is a very hands on learner and being able to use manipulatives in
math has really helped her. A is a very shy girl and therefore will sometimes not use the manipulatives if other students are not using them. I created a
lesson plan that uses cheese crackers as manipulatives so that A will be comfortable using the manipulatives in her learning because everyone else
will want to as as well. The cheese cracker manipulative lesson plan is attached. Students in the class are working on area and perimeter. They will
use cheese crackers to measure both and to create shapes with given area and perimeter.
The COE case study chart really helped to guide my work. By documenting our interactions, I was able to see what strategies and methods
worked with A and which did not. I realized through this process how reflective you must be as an educator. By using the chart, all my efforts were
laid out and I could see the results. I was able to work and interact with A closely and I realized how much Becker as a team has helped this student.
She is gaining confidence and I think she will be very successful. I am very happy with my decision to work with A because it allowed me to help her
even more than the team already was helping. A is a funny and sweet student with no behavioral issues. She just needed a bit more guidance and help.
As a result of my work with A, she was able to pass into level 18 reading. This is directly correlated with her making her own goals and
feeling ownership of her work. I met with A every single day I was there to work on her comprehension, accuracy, fluency, and to expand her
vocabulary. I picked books that she thought were cute in order to appeal to her interests. I tried every day to compliment her in some way to help
her build her confidence. A came into the classroom as a shy student who lacked confidence. Now, she is gaining confidence both academically and
socially and I am a much more reflective teacher.
I learned a lot about my student. The most important thing that I have learned is the importance of students taking ownership and
responsibility for their learning. By creating her own goals and rewards, A is making much more progress and is a whole new student. She was
wonderful to work with and I truly hope she continues to make leaps and bounds in her learning. A is one of the most warm-hearted students I have
encountered. She brings small gifts for the teacher regularly. One gift was a broken necklace pendant. It is clear that A's family does not have the
money to spend on gifts but A is always bringing small tokens and writing letters of appreciation.

Appendix
I. Cheez-It Lesson Plan
(using manipulatives to help A who is a hands on learner)

II. Demographics
A. Lindsay Sherwin
B. 3rd grade
C. Area and Perimeter
D. Becker Elementary
E. Dearborn Public Schools
F. Cheeze-it Area and Perimeter
G. 30 minutes
III.Objectives:
Students will be able to determine the area and perimeter of different shapes using a non-standard manipulative.
Students will be able to create their own shape using a set area and perimeter.
Students will be able to create a multiplication problem for given squares and rectangles.
IV. Standards:
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.C.5
Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures and understand concepts of area measurement.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.C.5.A
A square with side length 1 unit, called "a unit square," is said to have "one square unit" of area, and can be used to measure area.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.C.5.B
A plane figure which can be covered without gaps or overlaps by n unit squares is said to have an area of n square units.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.C.6
Measure areas by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft, and improvised units).
B. I decided to teach this lesson because it provides students the opportunity to practice finding area and perimeter using manipulatives. It also allows
opportunities for advanced students to create their own shapes which will further their understanding while allowing lower level students to work
with the concept and gain additional practice in a hands on manner. It is theoretically sound because it offers students the chance to explore the topic
at hand correctly and using a non-standard manipulative that students will be able to eat.
C. This is relevant to students because they need additional practice with the topic before their unit exam. It also makes math a hands on activity
that the students will be able to enjoy.
IV. Learning resources and materials:
A. Materials: Cheez-It crackers (about 20 a piece), area and perimeter worksheet, smart board, rubric
B. Resources: Smart board
C. Technology: Promethian Smart Board
D. Cheez It Area & Perimeter 4.MD.3. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Cheez-It-

Area-Perimeter-4MD3-661285
V. Teacher procedure:
a. Introduction
1. Using the think share pair method, students will be asked to think of what perimeter is and how we can measure it. Then students will
pair with a table mate and discuss their answer. Then one student will respond with his or her ideas. The same procedure will be used to
determine the meaning of area and how we can measure the area of a shape. Teacher will prompt students by asking how we can create a
multiplication problem from area and repeat the think share pair strategy.
2. Students already know the basic ideas of area and perimeter. This will link back to their previous knowledge and refresh their memory for
some students. Students will be able to clear up any confusion or misconceptions by using this anticipatory set.
b. Methods and Procedures:
1. Essential Question: What is area and how do we measure it? What is perimeter and how do we measure it?
2. Lesson Steps:
1. Students will sit in their assigned seats and the teacher will ask students to think in their minds, What is the perimeter of a shape and how do we
measure it? Students will then be asked to share their thoughts with a partner sitting at their table. Then teacher will ask students to raise their hand
and share what they discussed.
2. Teacher will ask students to think in their minds, What is the area of a shape and how do we measure it. Students will then be asked to share their
thoughts with a partner sitting at their table. Then teacher will ask students to raise their hand and share what they discussed.
3. The teacher will prompt students one more time by asking, How can we make a multiplication problem from looking at the area of a rectangle or
square? Students will then be asked to share their thoughts with a partner sitting at their table. Then teacher will ask students to raise their hand and
share what they discussed. Teacher will state, Area is the total amount of space a shape takes up. We measure it in square units. We can create a
multiplication problem by counting the number of units across multiplied by the number of units going down. The perimeter of a shape is like a
fence, it is the outside border. We measure it in units such as inches or centimeters depending on its size.
4. The teacher will then state the goal of the lesson. Today we will be reviewing the area and perimeter of different shapes and making
multiplication problems from them if we are able to. We will be using Cheez-Its as a tool to help us. Each Cheez-It is equal to one inch.
5. The teacher will then ask the paper passers to come get the worksheets (attached) and the table captains to get enough napkins for each of person at
their table.
6. The teacher will inform students they are not to eat the Cheez-Its until after their worksheet is completely done and I have seen it. The teacher will
also inform students they cannot touch the crackers until we work through the first problem together.

7. The teacher will pass out the Cheez-Its onto the students' napkins. Each student should get a small pile.
8. The teacher will turn on the smart board and model how to do the area and perimeter of the first problem. He or she will explain, I am going to
start by laying one cracker in each of my squares. How should I find the area?........ (teacher will call on students to respond). Can I make a
multiplication problem for this shape?........(teacher will call on students to respond). How can I solve the perimeter of this shape?......(teacher will
call on student to respond).
9. Teacher will say, You may now begin the rest of the work. If you have a question, please raise your hand. Once you are done, have me come and
see and then you may eat your crackers. Please keep them on the desk so we do not make crumbs. If we cannot follow these rules for learning, you
will flip your card.
10. Teacher will wander the classroom and check student progress.
11. Closure- Teacher will draw sticks and ask a few students to share the shapes that they created on the back of their worksheets. Students will use
the dry erase board to share. Who can explain what area is one more time and how we can create a multiplication problem for it?....... Who can
explain what the perimeter is one more time and how we measure it? Teacher will call on students to explain and clarify meaning. Teacher will
reiterate, Area is the total amount of space a shape takes up. We measure it in square units. We can create a multiplication problem by counting the
number of units across multiplied by the number of units going down. The perimeter of a shape is like a fence, it is the outside border. We measure it
in units such as inches or centimeters depending on its size. Teacher will draw sticks and ask a few students to share the shapes that they created on
the back of their worksheets. Students will use the dry erase board to share.
3. Types of Teaching
a. direct teaching: During the anticipatory set, teacher will state Teacher will state, Area is the total amount of space a shape takes up. We
measure it in square units. We can create a multiplication problem by counting the number of units across multiplied by the number of units going
down. The perimeter of a shape is like a fence, it is the outside border. We measure it in units such as inches or centimeters depending on its size.
Teacher will then model how to find the area, perimeter, and make a multiplication problem for the given shape using the smart board. By modeling
this, students will know what to do on their own.
b. indirect teaching: During the anticipatory set, students will work together to come up with a definition for area and perimeter. Students
will be working on a worksheet to enhance their understanding of the topic.
c. cooperative teaching: Students will be encouraged to work together if they are stuck on a problem and to share their findings with one
another. Students will also be asked to share their shapes that they created on their own with the rest of the class.
4. Strategies:
As the anticipatory set, I used the think share pair method to draw upon their prior knowledge. There are a lot of ELL in the classroom and this is

an opportunity for those students to gain confidence in their responses before sharing with the class. I also used a non-standard manipulative for
teaching this lesson. Math manipulatives are a resource that hands on learners need access to in order to create authentic knowledge.
5. Method of practice:
a. guided practice: Teacher will provide feedback to students as they work to solve the area and perimeter on their worksheets.
b. independent practice: Students will practice on their own how to solve for area and perimeter using manipulatives and be asked to create
their own shape without assistants with a set area and perimeter to be shared during the closure.
6. Teacher Role
a. modeling: Before beginning the worksheets on their own the teacher will model how to use the manipulatives properly. This allows
students to become acquainted with the materials before starting the lesson on their own.
b. facilitating: Teacher will walk around the classroom as students work to give feedback and monitor progress.
7. Varying Perspectives: Students will be using manipulatives which appeal to kinesthetic learners. Visual learners will be able to see how to
use the manipulatives while we discuss how to solve area dn perimeter for audial learners.
8. Across the Curriculum:
Students will be asked to draw shapes which integrates art into the lesson. Students will also be asked to create response and definitions to area and
perimeter which integrates oral language into the lesson. Many of the students are ELLs so integrating oral language really helps those students
expand their vocabularies.
9. Closure:
a. Students will summarize what they learned by showing the different shapes they created on the white board with a given area and perimeter.
They will also use their oral language skills to establish their own working definitions of area and perimeter.
b. The next learning activity for these students is the unit test. This is a review lesson to prepare for the test. Students will take their knowledge
and remember the activity as they are tested on the unit exam in the same day.
Technology: To develop my lesson, I searched for different non-standard manipulatives that students could use to measure are and perimeter. During
the lesson I used the Smart Board as an accomodation for the ELLs who need to see extra modeling and assistance with understanding worksheets.
C. Accomodations:
1. With using food in a lesson, the teacher must check for food allergies prior to the lesson. I checked with the cooperating teacher and there are
no food allergies.
2. There are many ELLs in the classroom. Modeling how to complete a task on the Smart Board sets those students up for success. There are
also a few students who need to use manipulatives to understand math concepts. This allows them to use a non-standard manipulative to solve for

simple math problems effectively. I will also monitor their progress closely.
VI. Assessment
a. I will monitor learning by questioning students during the closure activity.
b. Students learned how to solve area, perimeter, and creating multiplication problems for area. I know this by grading their completed
worksheet.
c. Student assessment provided evidence of learning. The worksheet will be used for the grading of this lesson. Students will receive a 1, 2, 3,
or 4.
d. Verbal feedback will be given throughout the lesson and written feedback will be given on their graded worksheet.
e. I will help students summarize what they learned by creating working definitions of what area and perimeter are.
f. On the worksheet students are asked to find: area, perimeter, and make a multiplication problem which match the objectives of the lesson.
VII. Reflection

Cheez-It Area & Perimeter

Using your cheez-its, see if you can create these
shapes using the requirements. Draw what each shape
looks like on your paper.
1. A rectangle with an area of 12.

2. A rectangle with a perimeter of 12.

3. A rectangle with an area of 16.

4. A rectangle with an area of 20.